Schools. Classes. Families. Join the Movement.

We pledge to stop saying "I'm not good at math" and approach math with a growth mindset. We will work hard to grow our math understanding, attitude, and outlook. We know that, With Math, We Can…do anything.

To achieve a growth mindset, we commit to the following:

We will celebrate our mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow.

We will be confident and share our thinking.

We will persevere through difficult practice.

"We are excited to be growing and nurturing all of our genius mathematicians and to be part of 'With Math I Can,' a movement to change math mindsets around the country."

"At Bay View, we are investing in the development of a growth mindset across our faculty and student body. We believe that all students will achieve more as they embrace failure as a step in the learning process. We especially believe that our middle school girls will be impacted as they get to the point where taking risks can be socially hard. We are taking the With Math I Can pledge in all our classes as part of our commitment to growth mindset."

Karina Barger, Middle School Coordinator, Bay View Academy

"If you have ever heard a child or a parent say, "Math is not my thing" you should show your them this video! Help improve your students' Math Esteem. Trust me it is worth a viewing."

Shawn E. McArdle M.Ed., 3rd Grade Teacher, John B. Dey Elementary

Growth Mindset—

Embrace Failure and Grow Stronger

Fostering the development of growth mindset in our children, especially when it comes to math, is an integral piece of their future success in any field or job. With a growth mindset, students believe that intelligence can grow. It's that optimistic outlook that we must learn to guide and support.

Growth Mindset

Growth mindset values learning over looking smart. Working hard is synonymous with success. With a growth mindset, kids thrive in the face of a challenge, constantly seek new strategies to solve problems, and think more logically and strategically overall.

Fixed Mindset

Fixed mindset is based on the idea that people have a finite amount of intelligence and that no amount of hard work can change that. It is a belief that looking smart is more important than learning, that great effort is a sign of low natural ability. With a fixed mindset, kids easily become discouraged and quickly shy away from challenges.

Inspirational Examples of Growth Mindsets

Michael Jordan

One of the game's greats reflects on a historic career of hard work, failures, and successes.

Michael Jordan

Professional Basketball Player + Owner of the Charlotte Hornets

One of the game's greats reflects on a historic career of hard work, failures, and successes.

JK Rowling

Best Selling Novelist + Screenwriter + Film Producer

The beloved and outspoken author of the children's classic Harry Potter discusses the benefits of embracing failure and the importance of imagination.

JK Rowling

Best Selling Novelist + Screenwriter + Film Producer

The beloved and outspoken author of the children's classic Harry Potter discusses the benefits of embracing failure and the importance of imagination.

Thomas Edison

American Inventor + Businessman

The inventor of the light bulb once famously observed, "Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time."

The Story—

If You Can Believe, You Can Grow

Growth mindset was pioneered by Carol Dweck, Lewis and Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology at Stanford University. She and her colleagues were the first to identify a link between growth mindset and achievement. They found that students who believed that their ability and intelligence could grow and change, otherwise known as growth mindset, outperformed those who thought that their ability and intelligence were fixed. Additionally, students who were taught that they could grow their intelligence actually did better over time. Dweck's research showed that an increased focus on the process of learning, rather than the outcome, helped increase a student's growth mindset and ability.

Jo Boaler, Professor of Mathematics Education at the Stanford Graduate School of Education and author of eight books including Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students' Potential through Creative Math, Inspiring Messages, and Innovative Teaching was one of the first to apply growth mindset to math achievement. She found that more children have a fixed mindset regarding math than any other subject. Boaler believes that teachers are the key to empowering students through more visual problems that can be solved in multiple ways and unified classrooms versus grouping students by ability. Simple teaching techniques like these encourage students to keep trying without the fear of failure.

"With Math I Can…" was born from the sobering realization that more and more kids and adults believe that they aren’t good at math. It is a mentality that is all too common and accepted in our society. It's a mentality that can have a profound and lasting negative impact on an individual. Our mission is to change that mentality and provide support tools to help teachers, educators, and parents deliver the message "With Math I Can…"

Negativity about math runs deep

Over 50% of people in the United States ages 18 to 34 say that they can't do math according to a 2010 survey conducted by Change the Equation.

The achievement gap is pronounced in math

Researchers at the National Assessment of Education Progress found a 27% differential on math achievement between average-income students and low-income students.

The future depends on math skills

In the 21st century, jobs across the country and around the world require a higher degree of math fluency and comfort. Careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) are the fastest growing sector of jobs.

The world outpaces the United States in math

Studies show that other countries/regions are outpacing the United States in math achievement. As the economy continues to grow globally, it is more important than ever to improve the math skills of every American.

Supporters

Resources—

Together, We Can Grow and Change

In Your Classroom

Valuable classroom resources from Stanford University PERTS lab, information about the WOOP technique from Character Lab, and many more helpful links and videos are available to help bring growth mindset into your classroom.

Get Involved—

Everywhere. Everyday. Math makes it possible.

#WithMathICan

What does #WithMathICan mean to you? Share a video of your class taking the pledge or a photo of your family watching the video. Tag your tweets #WithMathICan and tell us what YOU can do with math. Follow the hashtag on Twitter or check back here regularly to be part of the conversation.

Congratulations!

LEGO® Education has been working with educators for over 35 years to deliver playful learning experiences, which bring subjects to life, and make learning fun, engaging and effective. LEGO® Education combines physical and digital resources with educational sets based on the LEGO® system for playful learning, lesson plans and curriculum material and training. Combined, these resources encourage students to think creatively and reason systematically. LEGO® Education believes expanding knowledge and building academic and 21st century skills creates active, collaborative, lifelong learners, which enables every student to succeed by preparing them for future life challenges.

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics is the public voice of mathematics education, supporting teachers to ensure equitable mathematics learning of the highest quality for all students through vision, leadership, professional development, and research.

Amazon Education's goal is to improve learning outcomes with solutions that help teachers focus on what they do best-teach, engage and motivate students to learn. Solutions include rigorous content and curriculum resources for differentiated instruction and personalized learning, and a learning resource portal that specifically supports the discovery, curation, creation, and distribution of digital education resources for every educator across the country.

Developed by Sony Global Education in partnership with the Japan Prime Math Olympic Committee, Global Math Challenge is a fun, online contest that encourages creative thinking.

Beautifully presented, thought provoking puzzles challenge mathematical creativity and test logical thinking skills. Once the contest has finished, each student is presented with a personalised review giving them advice on how to approach different questions with fresh new approaches. Everyone can walk away from this contest with new skills and a new found confidence in their math ability. Alongside âWith Math I Canâ, Sony Global Education hope to enable every young person to realise that math can be a fun part of their lives.

PERTS, or the Project for Education Research That Scales, is an applied research center at Stanford University. They partner with educators and researchers to improve student motivation and achievement on a large scale. In the process, they develop, test, and disseminate learning mindset resources for educators and parents.

Jo Boaler, Stanford professor and former math teacher, has written eight books, including her most recent, Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students’ Potential through Creative Math, Inspiring Messages, and Innovative Teaching. She has also authored two online courses to foster student engagement in mathematics and to instill the idea that anyone can achieve at high levels. She is a White House Presenter and regular contributor for TV, news, and radio shows.

TenMarks, an Amazon company, provides a CODiE award-winning, web-based mathematics program. Designed to help teachers differentiate learning for every student, TenMarks knows that students achieve greater success when they’re individually motivated and nurtured. TenMarks provides deep, rigorous content to challenge every student, along with hints, videos, and interventions to help them persevere through difficult practice.

Common Sense Education is a national education nonprofit organization that provides teachers with research-based classroom tools that allow schools to embrace technology for learning and life. Believing that we can grow, learn new skills and persevere through challenges with enthusiasm is essential to thriving in today's classroom. Providing teachers with tools and resources to help students develop a growth mindset in math not only helps students tackle difficult subjects, such as algebra and geometry, but also enables students to harness technology to its full potential.

ClassDojo is a communication platform for teachers, parents, and students that helps build community inside and around every classroom. It does this by helping these communities share skills students are building, as well as classroom activities, through photos, videos and messaging. Already used in half of U.S. schools, the Big Ideas: Growth Mindset video series marks the first time ClassDojo has used its platform to deliver breakthrough, evidence-based educational practices to millions of teachers and classrooms around the world. Alongside "With Math I Can," ClassDojo aims to help every teacher bring a growth mindset to their classroom!

A comprehensive website and online community that increases knowledge, sharing, and adoption of what works in K-12 education. We emphasize core strategies: project-based learning, comprehensive assessment, integrated studies, social and emotional learning, educational leadership and teacher development, and technology integration.

ASCD is a global community dedicated to excellence in learning, teaching, and leading. ASCD's innovative solutions promote the success of each child. ASCD is a partner in educator professional development, providing materials, resources, and experts to ensure student success.

Teaching Channel is a thriving online community, where teachers can watch, share, and learn diverse techniques to help every student grow. This growing nonprofit strives to create a supportive environment, where teachers can learn powerful teaching techniques from other teachers at any time. With resources to guide learning and teaching at every phase and level, the goal of Teaching Channel is to empower the growth of teachers so that their students can grow right along with them.

Character Lab is a nonprofit on a mission to support, develop, and share research-based approaches to character that enable kids to learn and flourish. The team of researchers, designers, and educators work together to do three things: 1) Discover the ideas and strategies that build character; 2) Translate those good ideas to useful products; and 3) Do everything to ensure that people who work with students do what the research says is best.

MashUp Math is a comprehensive and engaging online hub and YouTube channel focused on making progressive math education free and accessible to students around the world. We share animated, standards-based video lessons for all grade levels, as well as daily resources, strategies, and insights for students, teachers, and parents who want to know what works in math education. Alongside "With Math I Can," we aim to help you cultivate and utilize a growth mindset as you continue along your mathematical journey!

Tiggly is a learning company based in New York City with a focus on designing learning systems for tablets. Tiggly Learning Systems bring the fundamental tactile play with traditional manipulatives (shapes, counting rods, and letter blocks) into childrenâs digital learning. By combining the best elements of physical play with affordances of digital software, Tiggly provides an optimal learning and play experience for children in pre-k to 1st grade.Our Learning Systems are used in >1900 schools and are sold in >2000 retail stores.

Dr. Matthew Beyranevand is the K-12 Mathematics and Science Coordinator for the Chelmsford, Massachusetts Public Schools where he leads a department of over 80 middle and high school math and science teachers. Through his website, http://www.mathwithmatthew.com/ Matthew provides visitors with a podcast, music videos, educational resources, and a video blog. As a graduate instructor at UMASS Lowell and Fitchburg State University of over thirty semesters of mathematics and education courses, Matthew has become an expert in the best-practice techniques for instructing both new and established teachers. His first book "Teach Math Like This, Not Like That!" will be released in 2017.

Steve Leinwand is a Principal Research Analyst at American Institute for Research (AIR) and has over 35 years of leadership positions in mathematics education. He currently serves as mathematics expert on a wide range of AIR projects that turn around schools, improve adult education, evaluate programs, develop assessments and provide technical assistance. In addition, Leinwand has provided school and district-level support and technical assistance for the General Electric Foundationâs Ensuring Futures in Education project and the Microsoft Math Partnership.

Before joining AIR in 2002, Steve spent 22 years as Mathematics Consultant with the Connecticut Department of Education. Steve has also served on the NCTM Board of Directors and has been President of the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics. Steve is also an author of several mathematics textbooks and has written numerous articles. In April of 2015, Steve was honored to receive the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics Ross Taylor/Glenn Gilbert National Mathematics Education Leadership Award.

Lenovo Education is an inspiring industry voice and inventive IT partner that works persistently to empower teachers, students, and entire organizations through a commitment to reliability and innovation. Our aim is to help education professionals understand, share, and implement technology solutions that assist them in moving toward goals and improving student outcomes.

As a visionary thought leader, Lenovo Education is dedicated to helping the education industry stay up-to-date with the latest trends. We aim to inspire more confidence in technologyâs role in the classroom, provide ideas for successful use, and provoke deeper thoughts regarding how technology can improve education overall.